In general, a fluid sample analysis has been extensively used in various fields including the field of chemical and biotechnology, the field of diagnosis using an analysis of blood or body fluids collected from a patient, etc. Recently, various compact analysis and diagnosis apparatuses and various analysis and diagnosis techniques have been developed to perform the fluid sample analysis in an easier and more efficient manner.
An analysis chip which is one of the analysis and diagnosis apparatuses has been frequently used to observe targets contained in an injected sample and count the number of the targets or measure the mobility of the targets.
Among such analysis chips, there is a growing need for a diagnosis chip for measuring the number or mobility of sperm. This is because the number of infertile couples have recently increased all over the world due to an increase in the number of endocrine disrupters caused by industrialization, unusual weather and environmental pollution caused by global warming, a change in social environment and lifestyle such as high nutrition or stress, etc., and male infertility which is one of various causes of infertility has recently increased.
When the existing tests are used to measure the number and mobility of sperm, expensive equipment and a lot of time and manpower are required. Thus, there is a growing need for an analysis chip enabling a test to be performed exactly in an easy manner.
When a disease is diagnosed, the number and functions of representative blood cells included in blood, e.g., red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, etc., are inspected. In general, tuberculosis, obesity, pregnancy, etc. are tested based on a sedimentation speed of red blood cells, and dehydration, anemia, etc. are tested based on the volume of blood cells.
Chronic leukemia may be tested based on the number of platelets. Nephritis, hypoxia, smoking, a pulmonary disease, hemolytic anemia, aplastic anemia, etc. may be tested based on the number of red blood cells. Acute appendicitis, leukemia, aplastic anemia, etc. may be tested based on the number of white blood cells. Accordingly, measurement of the number of cells such as blood cells is closely related to a disease diagnosis.
In addition, there is a growing need for a sample analyzing chip in the field of food or the field of biotechnology to observe bacteria, yeast, mold, etc. Many experiments and research have been conducted in relation to the sample analyzing chip.
However, in the sample analyzing chip, a sample is caused to flow in a channel with a micro-height and a target is observed on a target location. The lower height of the channel, the more the channel may sag. Accordingly, the upper and lower substrates of the channel may be adhered to each other.
Also, in most cases, a very small amount of sample is used. Thus, the sample is likely to dry and cannot thus be measured before a target is measured after the sample is injected and the flow of the sample is sufficiently stabilized.
Also, when a sample rapidly flows along a wall surface of a micro channel, the sample is not likely to flow stably and bubbles may occur at a midpoint on the micro channel.
Accordingly, in order to solve these problems, there is a growing need for a sample analyzing chip capable of preventing a sample from drying while measurement is performed, and stabilizing the flow of the sample as soon as possible, thereby performing sample measurement and analysis in an easy and convenient manner.